Author Notes:When my mom and I first tried our hand at pierogi-making, it involved seven straight hours in the kitchen rolling, stuffing, and boiling eight dozen dumplings. Through trial and error, we’ve cut the recipe in half, upped the cheesy garlic filling, and discovered the importance of rolling the dough out as thin as possible. We’ve tried it with fruit filling and sweetened farmer’s cheese, but we always come back to this basic recipe.

Tip: I would recommend investing in a pierogi press if you plan to make them often; however, using a large circle cookie cutter will also do the trick if you aren’t looking to invest in an extra kitchen tool. —Vegetarian 'Ventures

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Makes 4 dozen

For the dough:

6
cups all-purpose flour, plus some to dust surface

2
tablespoons salt

1
cup milk, plus more if needed

3/4
cup butter

2
eggs

For the filling:

8
medium russet potatoes

1
cup sharp cheddar, shredded

3
garlic cloves, minced

Boil the potatoes until they are soft enough that a fork can easily pierce through them, about 15 minutes.

Drain and mash the potatoes with a masher or hand mixer until smooth.

Combine the cheddar and garlic, then mix into the potatoes until incorporated.

Add all of the dough ingredients into a food processor and pulse until well-combined. If the dough is sticky, add a bit more flour and if it’s too crumbly, add more milk. (You may have to do this in two batches, depending on the size of your food processor.)

Remove the dough from the processor and transfer it to a floured surface. Divide the dough into 4 equal parts and wrap 3/4 of the dough in a damp kitchen towel and set aside.

Roll one of the four parts of dough into a rectangle shape on the floured surface, until it's about 1/4- to 1/2-inch thick, and place over a pierogi mold. (Alternatively, if you use a pasta maker instead of rolling it out by hand, I recommend keeping it on the 7 setting and just running it through two times to achieve a smooth texture.)

Fill each pierogi with a tablespoon of the filling, then place another layer of dough over the top.

Push a rolling pin over the dough to seal the dumplings in the pierogi press, then either press down on the pierogi maker to form the dumplings, or use a fork to press the edges together.

Transfer dumplings to a floured baking sheet and set aside.

Repeat with the rest of the filling and dough.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and boil the pierogi until they float to the top of the water, roughly 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the pierogi and set aside. They're ready to eat as soon as they reach room temperature.

Can these be frozen at any point? For instance, after assembly but before cooking? They'd be great to have on hand for a super quick weekday dinner. (I have several jars of homemade saurkraut that would be delicious served alongside.)

Yup! I honestly usually make a double batch and then freeze half of them. I wait to freeze them until after they've been boiled and cooled and then I stick them in a airtight freezer bag with parchment paper between each dumpling (to keep them from sticking together). To prepare, I just remove from the freezer and boil them again for another 2-3 minutes. I also love sautéing them with a bunch of veggies for a full meal (after they've been boiled)! : )

Step 11. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and boil the pierogi until they float to the top of the water, roughly 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the pierogi and set aside. They're ready to eat as soon as they reach room temperature.